Parkland High School Baseball

Connor Higgins pitched 5 1/3 innings allowing only one run to Pocono Mountain East, while at the plate his 2-RBI single in the bottom of the 4th inning got Parkland on the scoreboard and ignited the Trojans on their way to a 7-1 victory in the District XI quarterfinals.  

Higgins finished his work on the mound allowing six base hits and two walks while collecting seven strikeouts.  Two PME singles in the first inning gave PME the quick 1-0 lead, but Higgins kept the Cardinals off the board for the remainder of his outing.  After allowing a one-out single in the first, Higgins retired the next eight batters in a row. 

With the score still 1-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning, the Trojans mounted a two-out rally.  After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Rhett Jacoby (1-2, BB, R) and Andrew Roth (2-2, BB, 2R) hit back-to-back singles that put runners on the corners.  Roth stole second base to put runners on second and third with two outs.  Higgins (1-2, 2 RBI) then singled to right-center to drive in Jacoby and Roth and give the Trojans the 2-1 lead and the Trojans never looked back.  Courtesy runner EJ Brandt stole second base and then advanced to third base on a wild pitch.  Jeff Strisovsky (1-3, sac bunt, RBI) then hit a line drive RBI single to left to increase the Parkland lead to 3-1. 

In the top of the 5th inning, two singles by PME put the tying runs on base with one out in the inning.  Jacoby took the mound in relief of Higgins and a single loaded the bases for PME with one out.  Jacoby was able to work out of the jam with two ground outs to preserve the 3-1 lead.  Jacoby worked 2/3 of an inning allowing no runs on one hit.

 In the bottom of the 6th inning the Trojans broke the game open scoring four runs.  Roth got things going with a walk and a stolen base.  Evan McAndrew (1-1, R, RBI) singled home Roth.  Justin Afflerbach (2-4, R, RBI) added an RBI single and after a walk to Chris Rabasco (1-2, BB, HBP, R), Tyler Bruno (1-3, 2B, sac bunt, RBI) hit an RBI double to deep right field that scored Afflerbach.  Austin Mueller (0-4, RBI) rounded out Parkland's scoring with an RBI groundout.  McAndrew pitched a scoreless 7th inning, allowing no hits and one walk, to finish out the game.  Cullan Wadsworth (1-4) added a single to the Trojan offense.